Actually, the more haikus I do, the more I can easily disgard the 5/7/5 rule. At the end, it's not about the syllables but whether you hold true to the essential distinguishing features that mark a haiku from just a plain three line stanza.
After all, as pointed out in several major haiku links, the haiku was based on the Japanese language which has more syllables which is why they developed the 5/7/5 rule. English has less which means fewer words are needed to complete the image.
In the modern haiku you see now, most are 17 syllables or less. Even fewer follow the three line format or give a seasonal reference.
However, I agree, most readers are not that well verse in Haiku and feel comfortable with the 5/7/5 format but then most readers weren't comfortable with Haiku, in general, until the last 20 years.
You can still complete the desired haiku image, even easier and more naturally since you're being driven by conciseness and not a count.
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